Surveillance footage shows people reacting amid smoke during an attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 10, 2026, in this image taken from a distributed video.
Saudi Ministry of Media | Reuters
The Federal Aviation Administration has asked U.S. airlines to exercise caution when flying in or around Saudi Arabia after deadly attacks claimed by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis closed the Saudi capital’s airport.
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, remains closed Monday following attacks that began last week. The attacks intensified on Saturday, when a projectile struck an airport passenger terminal, authorities said, killing at least 12 people and injuring more than 300.
Airlines have suspended flights to the airport, some for the rest of the week.
The United States, Australia and other countries have advised their citizens against traveling to the region.
The FAA said Sunday evening that pilots should “exercise caution” in or around Saudi Arabia “due to flight safety risks associated with ongoing military activities” and navigation systems. He said these threats could pose a potential risk “to aircraft at all altitudes.” The FAA warning is in effect until December 10.
Most US airlines do not fly to Saudi Arabia.
Delta Airlines is scheduled to launch its first nonstop flight from Atlanta to Riyadh on October 23. CEO Ed Bastian said in an interview Thursday, before Saturday’s missile attack, that “security is going to make the decision” about whether to operate the flight as planned. As of Sunday evening, Delta had not changed its plans, a spokeswoman said.
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